


Lurking in the Darkness

by DreadfulSanity



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, In the Fade, Lucid Dreaming, Short One Shot, solasmancer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 06:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4994689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreadfulSanity/pseuds/DreadfulSanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The danger is lurking around every edge in the Fade, if you aren't careful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lurking in the Darkness

The big moon of Thedas was guiding her way through the forests of the Dales. After she disbanded the Inquisition, Melori travelled through Ferelden and now Orlais to search for her heart. She walked for hours and desperately needed a place to rest for the remaining night. Stumbling forward, one step after another.

An eternity later she found an old, abandoned cabin. It was dry, wind-shaded and had even a fireplace in the centre. The former occupant left two old chairs in the corner. It wouldn't be hard to make some decent firewood out of them, as they were barely holding together. She took her blanket from her staff, unfolded it and placed it beside the fireplace. In the wink of an eye she took the chairs apart and was able to warm her limbs over the fire.

Melori lay down, using her bundle as a pillow, and stared at the roof. Another fitful night awaited her.

~*~

Barefooted, she drifted around the Fade. Her heart crumpled, ripped into a million pieces, irreparable. She heard voices all over this place. Singing. Screaming. Laughing. Crying. A lot of different shapes were moving around. Running, Sliding. Dancing. Cringing. She placed one foot in front of another. Step by step. She didn't know why. She didn't even know where to go. She was just drifting. Drifting through nowhere.

A bright, white shape stopped in front of her. Shifting, curious but cautious. It moved around body her like silk. Wrapped her into itself. Warmth spread through her body, comforting, easing. The pain inside her heart was gone. She allowed herself to stop. A shape out of bright fume appeared in front of her, growing out of her right shoulder, or so it seemed. Wafting, changing, trying to form something familiar like a head. Melori reached out for it and the shape dispersed into many twines.  
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you”, she tried to ease the entity. “What are you? A spirit?”  
“I'm desire, demand, passion. I'm here because every fibre of you shouted out for me. I can help you, if you let me.”  
“Help me with what?”  
“Healing your wounds. Your desire for the part you've lost. I can make you forget, if you will.”  
“How?”  
“Let me in and I'll show you.”

~*~

“No, don't…” Solas screamed internal. “Why are you showing me this, spirit?”

He tried to avoid looking after her in the Fade. To put her and his mind at ease. When he fell asleep tonight, he met a spirit who showed him Melori. Vhenan. Beautiful as ever, her deep black hair longer than he remembered. Her blue eyes shining, but also sad and tired. She looked strained. Wandering through Thedas, searching for him took a lot from her. She still hadn't give up on him. His heart ached.

“So you can see.”  
“Is this real? Does this happen now?”  
“Maybe it is real. Maybe it is what could be. She can't let you go. It hurts too much. Crying. Screaming. Silent, but persistent. She can't. She can't heal.”  
The way the spirit spoke seemed familiar to Solas.  
“Cole?”, he asked.  
“You called me that once. You can still use this name.”  
“I am so sorry. Please, Cole, help her. Let her forget me.”  
“I can't. She lost a part of herself. I can't make her forget herself.”  
“What do you mean _a part of herself_.”  
“You both are two no longer. You are more. Love, passion, devotion. But also completion. You are wrong, Solas.”  
“Are?”  
“You were wrong once and now you regret it. Then you came into this world. And you were wrong again. You told her. Not even people. You are wrong. Again.”  
“I tried to keep her save, but…”  
“She won't be safe until she can be whole again.”  
Solas sighed. He felt tears running down his cheeks. When does he started crying? He couldn't remember.  
“That all does not matter, if this is happening right now.”  
“It is still time. You can stop it.”  
“How?”  
“You know.”  
The spirit he treasured as a friend vanished in front of him. Was Cole right? Could he still save her? Save himself? 

~*~

“Let you in?” Melori raised an eyebrow. “What will happen, if I let you in?”  
“I can help you. Help you heal. Help you forget. Being whole again. Whatever you desire. You only need to give me shelter for a short time.”  
She struggled. There was this hushed voice inside her head, telling her not to, that this was wrong. But what if there was a chance to stop the pain in her chest? She didn't know how much longer she could endure it.  
“Can you really help me?” She sank on her knees. “Can you really make it stop hurting?”  
“Only if you let me.”  
The whispers around her became a pestering cacophony of noises. Something was not right. She couldn't think clearly. She could only feel. Pain. Joy. Love. Hate. Desire.

A loud roar ripped through the noise and a black wolf leaped out of nowhere.  
“Let her go. She will not welcome you, demon.”  
The wolf transformed into an elf in front of her.  
“Solas?”, she gasped.  
The shape of the demon went from white to red to black to green. It let off of her and cold pain came back instantly, leaving her breathless, cringing. Her eyes were pinned on the wolf.  
“So, now you are here? Helping? Where have you been the last years?”, the demon asked Solas.  
“Let her go.” His voice was icy.  
“And then? You save her from me and let her alone again? She would be so much better off with me than with you.”

The shape slid back to Melori, wrapping around her, easing her like before.  
“What do you think, Inquisitor? Should I go? Should I leave you alone with him and the pain, after he left? Again.” 

“Enough!”  
Solas reached for his stab. It started glowing, blue and cold. Ice spread over the metal on the upper end. The demon withdraw, hissing in Solas' and Melori's directions.  
“Saved from the bell. As you wish, Fen'Haral.” It mimicked a bow. “This is not the last time you saw me. Remember who wanted to save you, Melori. And who caused you nothing than pain.”  
The demon disappeared and with him the whispers and the other shapes.

Solas dropped his staff and went over to Melori.  
“Vhenan.” He sank on his knees in front of her. “I am sorry. This is all my fault.”  
“It was right, wasn't it? You'll live your life without me. Eventually destroying the world I live in. You're going to leave me again, aren't you?”  
He took her hands and kissed them. He didn't know what to say. There was anger in her eyes. But also sadness. And hope. He kissed her tears away.  
“I was not more than a selfish fool, trying to reduce my own pain by pushing away the love of my life. Can you forgive me one last time?”  
“That wasn't the answer to my question”, she glared at him.  
Melori prepared herself for the pain that would eventually come when she awakes. She couldn't relish in this moment, knowing he would left her behind again.  
“Wake up, Vhenan.”

~*~

She awakened, scared, gasping. Echoes from her dream remained in her head. Solas. The demon. Was it real?

_Wake up, Vhenan, and wait for me. If you still want me._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed my second short shot about Solas and Melori, my Lavellan Inquisitor. Just thoughts that had to get into shape, leaving my mind. English isn't my native language, so feel free to point me towards my mistakes. I can't improve my english without it. Thank you. :)


End file.
